Coronado's 3 Rs: Resorts, retirees and Romney

Recent election figures indicate that Coronado is one of Mitt Romney's biggest strongholds in San Diego County, along with Rancho Santa Fe, Rancho Bernardo, La Jolla, Lake San Marcos and others.
— K.C. Alfred

Recent election figures indicate that Coronado is one of Mitt Romney's biggest strongholds in San Diego County, along with Rancho Santa Fe, Rancho Bernardo, La Jolla, Lake San Marcos and others.
— K.C. Alfred

If the San Diego area remains a Navy town, then Coronado is its proud, patriotic town square. American flags dot the seaside burg like so many king palms on Orange Avenue. Old Glory bunting flutters atop long fences. The U.S. commander of Navy air forces works down the street, at North Island Naval Air Station.

To some in Coronado, it would only follow that the resort and retirement community is also Mitt Romney Country. Down to the second-story window on Hubbard’s house, where he keeps a “Romney” campaign sign.

Republicans here say their values match the candidate’s values. His talk of what he considers runaway government spending resonates with them. His criticism of entitlement programs draws nods in the military-minded community.

And the “We Built This!” theme that will be part of this week’s Republican National Convention, they say they get that too, because it mirrors their own experiences.

Figures from the June primary election indicate the town is one of the candidate’s biggest strongholds in San Diego County, along with Rancho Santa Fe, Rancho Bernardo, La Jolla, Lake San Marcos and others.

Hubbard, an 86-year-old writer and retired Navy commander, plans to watch the GOP get-together in Tampa, Fla. Romney will officially be anointed the party’s presidential nominee during the event, with Rep. Paul Ryan serving as his running mate.

“Romney’s a very nice guy,” said Hubbard. And Ryan, he said, “he’s a brilliant young guy.”

The community’s military mindset is seen as a driving factor in the presidential race.

The town was built on resort living, but also service to country. North Island is where American naval aviation first took flight 101 years ago. Hundreds of homes display signs showing where an aviator lives or once lived.

*Includes contributions to Romney’s campaign and to the main Super PAC backing Romney, Restore Our Future.

Sources: Federal Election Commission and OpenSecrets.org.

Many veterans here speak of the sacrifices they and their loved ones made while serving in the military, about the lives they put on the line and about how their families were often apart for months, if not years. And while some rail against what they see as the government’s free-spending ways, they consider the taxpayer funds going to defense as money well spent.